Artwork
Still Life with Plums Figs and Bread
Still Life with Plums Figs and Bread is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Luis Egidio Meléndez. It dates from 1751 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Luis Egidio Meléndez’s oil painting *Still Life with Plums, Figs and Bread* was completed in 1751. Executed on a modest wooden tabletop, the composition gathers a handful of ripe plums, a cluster of figs, and a loaf of bread wrapped in cloth, all arranged around a silver dish. The work belongs to the Prado Museum’s collection, representing a typical 18th‑century Spanish still‑life.
Subject & Meaning
The tableau presents ordinary provisions—fruit and bread—rendered with meticulous care, inviting contemplation of everyday abundance. By isolating these items against a dark backdrop, Meléndez emphasizes their material qualities, suggesting a quiet reverence for the humble sustenance that sustained daily life in his era.
Technique & Style
Meléndez employs a restrained Rococo sensibility, favoring precise realism over decorative excess. Light falls sharply on the glossy skins of the plums and the coarse surface of the bread, creating a chiaroscuro effect that models volume and suggests moisture. The subtle gradations of shadow and highlight reveal the artist’s skill in depicting texture.
History & Provenance
Created during Meléndez’s mature period, the painting reflects his reputation as a leading Spanish still‑life specialist. After remaining in private hands for several decades, it entered the national collection and is now displayed at Madrid’s Museo del Prado, where it contributes to the museum’s representation of 18th‑century Spanish genre painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Luis Egidio Meléndez (1716–1780) was a Spanish painter. Though he received little acclaim during his lifetime and died in poverty, Meléndez is recognized as one of the greatest Spanish still-life painters of the 18th…
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